From the stage to everyday life: three sustainable tips you can take away from Astro’n’out concerts

At the end of last year, the band Astro’n’out embarked on an acoustic concert tour titled “Mūc,” performing in six Latvian cities. The concerts were characterized by a particularly cozy atmosphere and personal conversations with the audience—including discussions about sustainability issues important to the band and our own daily habits.

During the tour, in collaboration with “AJ Power Recycling” and “ZAAO,” the group set itself a special challenge: to minimize the tour’s environmental impact at every stage of planning and execution and to consume as few resources as possible without compromising artistic quality. Drawing on their experience, Astro’n’out shares three ideas that anyone can implement in their daily life to reduce consumption.

Māra Upmane-Holšteine, musician with the band Astro’n’out: “ReGen Generation is an initiative we launched last year with a line of upcycled souvenir T-shirts. Through it, we celebrate every step that leads to more eco-friendly thinking. The sustainable tour was a natural next step in bringing sustainability closer to our daily lives. We feel we’ve gained a lot by embarking on this experiment. The main conclusion: many sustainable choices don’t require any extra costs, nor do they force us to sacrifice art – the hardest part is breaking old habits.”

Set design – interior objects can also be given a second life.

At concerts, the stage design sets the mood and often lingers in the memory long after the event. In their search for sustainable solutions, the group discovered just how many high-quality interior elements can be not only rented but also found in thrift stores or through local designers and artists. Another valuable discovery: designers and artists often have access to so-called “seconds”– items with minor visual defects that are fully functional. They cost less and, at the same time, help avoid wasting resources.

Stage costumes – from old to new.

It’s important for performers to feel confident on stage, which is why costumes are an essential part of both their self-confidence and the stage design. While preparing for the concert tour, the band members primarily selected outfits from previous concerts and even from family members’ wardrobes, combining, altering, and stylistically adapting them to the mood of the tour. As a result, Māra Upmane-Holšteine’s dress from the 2017 “Urda” tour was transformed into a skirt for the acoustic tour, while the band’s male members, in collaboration with local fashion designer Una Bērziņa, had shirts made from sustainable linen fabric. When looking for clothes for a special event and before heading to the store, the musicians recommend also seeking an outside perspective – someone who can help spot new combinations and solutions. Often, new clothes aren’t necessary; a “fresh perspective” and a creative approach are enough.

Reusable tableware – it all starts with a question.

Providing reusable tableware for catering services may seem simple, but in practice, it remains a challenge for many caterers. Our experience shows that the key is to simply ask. Many caterers in Latvia can provide meals in reusable containers, but they offer this option less frequently because it requires additional preparation and logistics. Meanwhile, personal thermos mugs, snack boxes, and cloth bags have already become a natural daily habit for the group to reduce the packaging used in daily life, and they recommend that everyone do the same. Everyone has the opportunity, even through seemingly small actions, to make their daily habits more environmentally friendly. The “Mūc” concert tour proved that sustainable habits can be implemented in practically any field, and events are no exception.

A special opportunity to take a look behind the scenes at the making of the tour.

Over the course of six months, the band Astro’n’out documented their preparations for the acoustic tour “Mūc” and the progress of the sustainability experiment taking place alongside it. The series was created in collaboration with sustainability partners “AJ Power Recycling” and “ZAAO,” continuing the “ReGen Generation” concept initiated by Astro’n’out – viewing sustainability as a shared process, not a task that can be perfectly executed.

The band has also documented their “Mūc” concert tour in a concert film, in which they candidly share their experiences of how the band fared in meeting the sustainability challenge they set for themselves. The concert film will premiere on March 24 and will subsequently be available to a wider audience on LMT Smart TV.

About AS “AJ Power Recycling”:

AS “AJ Power Recycling” operates within waste management systems for textiles, used packaging, environmentally hazardous goods, and waste electrical and electronic equipment, which are supervised by the State Environmental Service (VVD). AS “AJ Power Recycling” provides companies with a 100% exemption from the natural resources tax. AS “AJ Power Recycling” is part of the “AJ Power” group of companies. “AJ Power” has been in operation since 2014, and the group’s turnover in 2024 exceeded 110 million euros.